Scarlet Fever In Children

Looking for information on scarlet fever in children? Group A streptococcus bacteria is an infection that causes scarlet fever in children. When children develop scarlet fever, they will often have a rash that is scarlet-colored. The scarlet fever rash will generally first appear on a child's face and neck before spreading to the back, chest, and rest of the body. Besides the aforementioned rash, other symptoms that are often associated with scarlet fever in children include a fever, swollen neck glands, and/or a red, sore throat. Strep throat often goes hand-in-hand with scarlet fever, so as a parent, you should also be on the look out for white or yellow spots on your child's tonsils.

Treatment. If your child is exhibiting any of the symptoms that are associated with scarlet fever, you should make an appointment with your pediatrician as soon as possible. In most cases, if your doctor thinks that your child is suffering from scarlet fever, he or she will take a throat swab and wait to see if any bacteria grows on it. If a diagnosis of scarlet fever is made, your child will likely be prescribed an antibiotic that he or she will have to take for a period of approximately ten days. It is important that you have soft foods in the house while your child is being treated for scarlet fever because his or her throat will likely make eating somewhat painful. Adding moisture to the air via a cool-mist humidifier will also help soothe your child's throat.

Prevention. Unfortunately, there is no single way to prevent scarlet fever in children. The bacteria that causes scarlet fever is contagious, meaning it only takes a single child coughing or sneezing to spread the infection to others. If your child is diagnosed with scarlet fever, he or she will have to remain home until the infection has cleared. While your child is being treated for scarlet fever, you want to do your best to prevent other family members from developing the infection, which means keeping all eating utensils and drinking glasses separate and washing them in hot, soapy water to kill any germs.